JeanM
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Posts posted by JeanM
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With early decision due yesterday, we finished everything for the common app by 9 pm. This was a major celebration since I was convinced we'd be hitting submit at 11:59 pm. The ED school required 2 teacher recommendations. As of 7 pm yesterday, ds still only had 1. He had talked to the teacher who said he was happy to write one, and he had clearly explained the due date. DS sent a gentle email a week ago. Every time ds saw teacher in class this week, teacher said "oh, yeah, don't worry, I'll get it done." Yesterday teacher said he'd have it done by 6 pm. At 7 pm we were starting to panic. At 7:30 pm, the recommendation showed up. What a relief! I just hope the teacher did a good job. He knows ds very well, has taught him multiple classes for 4 years. And his subject is ds's potential major. So we really, really wanted this particular teacher.
Now we keep our fingers crossed!!
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My ds is planning to apply, but hasn't actually applied yet. I was planning to do something fairly similar to what you describe, except my ds doesn't have any CC credits, just public school and AP classes. He has one science class with labs that he did at school, but his other sciences are at home, and we didn't keep any records of his labs. I'm hoping that his transcript will work as is.
I was just going to add that we visited last week, and we were told that there was a specific admissions rep who deals with homeschoolers. So I was told that if I had any questions, I should contact her. I think my ds has her card, so if it would help, let me know I'll pass on the info. My vague recollection is that her name is Melissa, but I'm really not sure about that!
21 hours ago, FuzzyCatz said:Has anyone applied to Oberlin as a homeschooler in recent years? My transcript document is 10+ pages and includes class descriptions, resources, text, lit lists, info about outside teachers and resources. He has a transcript from a CC with a 4.0 and a reference letter from the CC (and several other references). We uploaded a research paper from his comp class at CC with the grade (A). He has an ACT > 75% at Oberlin. Does that seem reasonable? I kept great records, but I didn't keep many work examples.
The only thing I did not include in my transcript document was class dates. If I added end dates for all my classes in my descriptions in the transcript and had the kid upload this as the portfolio does this seem reasonable? I have really not fond feelings of extra hoop jumping for homeschoolers when the data is basically there already but my kid really likes Oberlin very much.
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DS had three college interviews in the last 4 days. Unfortunately he wasn't that crazy about the colleges that he visited. So we're back to refining his list again. One more visit/interview scheduled for next week.
In better news, I'm making progress on the documents I need to finish: his transcript, counselor letter, school profile, and course descriptions. The only one that I haven't touched at all is the course descriptions. I don't think I'll have to do that much though because the vast majority of his courses are the same as my older ds. I really should get going on that this week.
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44 minutes ago, Woodland Mist Academy said:
Is anyone else starting to feel like GPA is meaningless?
Yes! I'm struggling with the GPA business. I've personally eliminated the A+ problem because even though the school ds attends part-time gives pluses and minuses, I've stated in my profile that I round everything to A, B, C. Therefore, there is no issue.
If anyone cares, his school calls both an A and an A+ 4.0. And they don't weight GPAs at all.
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On 9/17/2018 at 9:39 PM, alewife said:
I don't include the senior year grades on the transcript when the application is submitted and indicate that grades through the end of junior year are listed on the transcript.
I do list the current year grades on the midyear report that is usually due in February. (Not every school requires a mid-year report, though).
I have never dealt with weighted gpa's because I could never completely understand the process and I don't think weighted gpa's were a factor at the schools my kids applied to. (otherwise, I would have muddled through and listed some sort of weighted gpa, too)
4The bolded is exactly what I did with my first ds, and I'm planning to do the same this year with the second. I did include both weighted and unweighted GPAs on his transcript. I figured that way the school can use whichever. I can't remember which I entered in the common app. I guess I'll have to figure it out again this year.
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8 hours ago, Pronghorn said:
Music school admissions are competitive and unpredictable. It is not like having high academic stats where you can see objectively where your child stands. And I don't know what the percentages are. For financial reasons we are going for university music programs rather than stand alone conservatories. The universities are mostly not extremely competitive but the music departments may be. Many of our schools need the complete application in late October to early December. Once my daughter gets her songs recorded, we may be able to file applications pretty quickly. Most of the auditions and interviews are in late January to early March.
Good luck, Pronghorn! I'm a bit relieved that my ds has decided not to apply to conservatory programs. It sounds very difficult.
8 hours ago, Hoggirl said:Free advice (remember, it’s worth what you pay for it) -
We are a few years out, but here is what I did to keep the relationship good between ds and me during application season. I insisted he sit down with me once a week (we did Sunday afternoons) for 30 minutes to an hour to talk about college apps, make a to-do list for the upcoming week, etc. This was to make sure his pacing was good. He applied to eleven schools. Many had significant supplements. He also had to prepare a music supplement. There were a lot of balls in the air. I wanted to make sure he didn’t drop any of them. But, I also promised ds that as long as he would meet with me once a week and work diligently during the week that I would not ask him anything about college apps during the week. He was free to bring it up if he wanted to discuss it, but I would not initiate any conversation on that topic. It’s really hard, but now is the time to start becoming more hands-off. Let your dc OWN this process. The only exception to this is anything that has to do with MONEY. I made sure we were tracking any and all deadlines related to scholarships. There is just too much at stake to trust your kid with potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars. I have told this tale before, but ds had a friend who was qualified for a state scholarship provided by our department of higher education. He absolutely would have received it, but he missed the February 1 deadline for applying. Opportunity cost? $10,000 per year. Parents need to manage the money side.
I feel sorry for seniors. All anyone ever asks them is about where they are going to college. So, I also didn't ask ds’s friends about their college apps either. I asked them about other things. Things relative to their final year of high school. It’s a special time. Yes, we all like to look to the future, but it’s important to enjoy the here and now as well.Best to all as you navigate this journey!
Again - free. Worth what you pay for it. ?
I like the idea of a regular appointment/to-do list. I'm going to talk to ds this weekend about trying this.
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1 hour ago, Woodland Mist Academy said:
I watch clips of Lady Bird from time to time to help keep it all in perspective... That's probably the most quoted movie in our home right now. ?
Early Decision: Based on a True Frenzy also helps me remember what matters most.
![By Lacy Crawford - Early Decision: A Novel (Reprint) (2014-09-10) [Paperback]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41LJH7QLhlL._AC_UL320_SR298,320_.jpg)
I haven't seen Lady Bird, so I'm going to watch it soon. Thanks! If anyone else is interested, it looks like it is free through Amazon prime, but is not available at netflix. I've requested the book from my library. Honestly, I'm very stressed about this whole process. I thought having been through it once would make it easier, but it's oddly harder.
And huge congratulations to those getting merit aid!!
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Can I say that I am wildly envious of those who already have acceptances? My ds hasn't finalized his list yet, hasn't decided if he's applying early anywhere, and I don't think he has started his common app essay. Luckily he has to write his essay for his English class, so I know he's starting on it soon. He's trying to figure out if he is doing an arts supplement (it would be music in his case), and if so, what is he doing.
On the plus side, we are still talking. And he's got two college visits with interviews next week and one the following week. So hopefully he'll start to figure things out. Keeping our relationship intact through this process is really important to me, but I also don't want to let him slack off and miss things.
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On 9/2/2018 at 8:48 AM, Chris in VA said:
We can't go because there is a party for my husband that same day at our church. It sucks because it is also dd's first concert performance, so she can't come home, either.
I am hoping it won't be a big deal for dd, but I do wish we could go to the concert. I know that is a big deal for her, and we will miss every concert for the next 3 years.
We never went to Ds' Parent Weekends, so at least there's no precedent.
Does your dd's college stream concerts? I have loved the fact that my ds's college does. We've been able to watch all of his concerts.
We went to Parent Weekend his freshman year (last year), mostly because my parents offered to pay for it as a gift to me. It was a wonderful gift. DS loved seeing us, since he had been quite homesick. And DH and younger DS had never seen the campus. However, this year we're definitely not going because it would be way too expensive.
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I'm sending you a PM.
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My older ds will be a sophomore this year, but hasn't gone back yet. I'm mostly posting here to add a safety note. If your dc has a lofted bed, please make sure they have safety rails. My ds's roommate fell out of his lofted bed last year. Luckily he wasn't badly injured, just bruised. This was a big fall because the beds were up over the desks. My ds took action and insisted on the getting the optional safety rails installed on his bed and on his roommate's bed after that.
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On 6/24/2018 at 1:01 AM, Frances said:
Am I the only one that lives in an area where several liberal arts colleges offer free or almost free college classes to some high school students? My son was able to take two courses per semester at the local LAC for $200 each and audit up to two more per term for $50 each. This was at a time when tuition there was around $40k per year. Admission was restricted and required a full application, but it was far cheaper, more rigorous, and more convenient than taking classes at the local CC. I know of at least four other LACs within an hour that offer something similar.
The state health university also offered an amazing free class for high school students and most of the students went on to do summer research there. It was an amazing experience for my son. Again, admission was restricted and competetitive, but well worth the effort and the commute.
One interesting thing though is that most of these programs are not advertised or on the college website. They are usually handled through high school guidance counselors and word of mouth. We knew about the local one because my husband used to teach there. My son was recommended for another one when he took a community science lab class with a retired college professor. And I found out about the health university one when poking around on the web.
2Our local LAC is highly ranked, and allows high school students (and other community members) to audit courses. As far as I know, there is no path for high school students to take classes for credit. My older ds took 3 history classes there. Each time he asked the professor's permission to take the tests and write the papers. Each time the professor agreed. His last professor not only graded his papers, but met with him individually to discuss them. While he didn't get any credit for these courses, he did get a highly valuable learning experience.
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My ds's financial aid is affected by whether he lives on campus. We haven't yet looked into whether it would actually cost more to live off campus or not. He'd lose some money, but he might come out ahead. He's definitely living on campus next year (sophomore year). Junior year he may do study abroad one semester, so it will probably be easier to live on campus for the other semester rather than try to find an apartment for a few months. So really it's just senior year that he might live off campus. We'll run numbers at some point soon so he can plan ahead.
The bottom line is that I agree - check with the school.
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My ds took AP music theory this year at the public school, and it was a great experience for him. Obviously, he doesn't know his scores yet, and it seems likely that he won't get college credit for it even if he does well. However, he felt like he learned a lot and had fun. This was a very small class - I think there were 5 kids - which I think made a difference.
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Woo hoo! DS is done! His 4th exam was the AB calculus today. Apparently, there were a lot of technical difficulties yesterday with the music theory. I hope it went ok in the end.
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Wonderful! Congratulations to your dd!
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Just a small vent. DS is taking AP English lit at the public school. He was absent from school Tuesday, had the test Wednesday, and when he got to school Thursday (yesterday), he found out that there was an assignment due that wasn't on the syllabus. Apparently, it was discussed on the day he was absent. I'm just stunned that the teacher expected them to take the AP test and then go home to work on their assignment. Many (most) of the kids also have other AP exams to prepare for. I don't think ds will be penalized for turning in the assignment today, since he was absent when it was announced. I just don't see the necessity of this in an AP English class.
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My ds16 is taking 4. He's not really stressed by English Lit, and only somewhat by music theory. The ones he is really worried about are AB calculus and physics C mechanics. It's unfortunate that this week he's been in a show that has had rehearsals/performances every night, and Saturday there are two performances (matinee and evening). Luckily this weekend will be the end of it, and the first week he only has the English test.
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Have fun! I do wish I was within driving distance of ds.
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This is what I'm worried about. Dd is an introvert with social anxiety and I know that interviews will be very stressful for her. Especially with so much money involved.
I wonder if that's what we need to do - find OOS public schools that will offer in-state tuition. Is there a list somewhere I can find that info?
Yes, I will be very interested to see how it all works out for your dd!
I know UMaine has some offerings for out-of-state students:
https://go.umaine.edu/apply/scholarships/flagship-match/
My older ds really didn't want to go to the state flagship, but he applied anyway. They have rolling admissions, so he had a college acceptance in hand pretty early in the process, and while their financial aid was mostly loans, he at least had a viable option. Younger ds is currently a junior, but unless he gets in early somewhere, he'll apply to the state flagship too.
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Thinkwell has videos + problems, which my 2nd ds used. My dh hasn't been crazy about it, but it has helped to keep ds on track. My 1st ds and dh just used a textbook. I don't know anything about the other programs you listed.
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If it helps, this is an article I saw. I don't necessarily agree 100% with everything it says.
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Both of my dc have taken APs and SAT subject tests. For instance, they've both done the US history AP and subject test. There really is a large difference between the tests. The subject test is 1 hour, all multiple choice. The AP is 3+ hours with multiple choice, short answer questions, and essays. You can re-take the subject test fairly easily since most of them are offered at multiple dates/locations per year. Where we are, my dc can take any AP they want and the public school will set up the test just for them, but in many places it can be difficult to find a school that will accomodate.
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I can't believe this will be my last year. My youngest will be a senior! He goes part-time to the local public high school. Right now he has put in his requests for next year, but we don't know yet what classes will conflict. He really wants to be in the band. This year he had to choose between AP English and band - he chose the English, but really wants to be in band for his senior year.
At public school:
symphonic band
rock band
maybe AP human geography
AP-ish Spanish (school doesn't officially offer AP Spanish, but teacher has offered to work with ds and two other kids who are ready for this)
At home:
BC calculus - remote possibility that he'll do AP statistics at school instead, but I think BC is his better choice
AP physics C- electricity and magnetism
AP psychology - if he doesn't do human geography at school
Advanced English - Blue Tent
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Anyone Want to Chat About College Apps/Decisions?
in The College Board
Posted
Good luck! My older ds applied ED to a very selective LAC like that and got deferred and eventually rejected. He's happy at the school he is at now though. My younger ds just applied ED to a LAC that is much less selective. I think it's a great fit for him, and the odds of him getting in are high. Hopefully with merit aid too!